Newstrack

Marriott International woos India

Sayoni Bhaduri - Mumbai

David N Townshend, Sr VP, (Corporate Segments & International Sales) with Rajeev Menon, area VP (India, Pakistan, the Maldives & Malaysia), Marriott International at the Marriott International India Road Show at Bengaluru

With 23 representatives showcasing 125 hotels in 38 countries, the fourth edition of Marriott International India Road Show had three halts starting from Mumbai at Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Some of the brands present include JW Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites.

David Townshend, senior VP (Corporate Segment & International Sales), Marriott International, added that the source markets today include Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and India, particularly for MICE. "This year, we expect our sales to grow by 11 per cent over 2007 despite the current economic uncertainty. We are looking at agents who handle large corporate travel, wholesalers as well as intermediaries," he added.

One of the properties represented at the event was Grosvenor House in London - a 494-room property which has been reinstated to its past glory. Its highlight as described by Howard Hartley, the hotel's senior sales manager, was its rooms that are 20 per cent larger than the regular London luxury rooms. The staff is from 70 countries and is more than 850 in number. "It is a traditionally and culturally rich hotel but with a global flair," said Hartley.

Andreas Kohn, director (Account Sales) for Austria, Germany and Switzerland, informed that the Marriott was opening eight more properties in Scandinavia. "Of the total travellers coming into the region, 60 per cent are European while the rest are Americans. But over the last three to four years, a lot of traffic has been coming from Asia Pacific particularly Japan, China and Korea," he said. Townshend added that Europe has seen an increased number of high profile MICE events from India. He also said that apart from Europe, the other most popular destination for Indian business travellers is the United States, where they reserve mostly full service and extended-stay type properties. Moving south of Equator, Australia is another popular destination for Indians, with preference for both MICE and leisure travel. Peter Brampton, GM of Surfer's Paradise Resort & Spa located on the Gold Coast, explains, "The Indian outbound market to Australia, particularly the Gold Coast area, is growing by leaps and bounds." Asia still is the biggest market for Australia with 30 to 40 per cent coming in for conferencing while the rest is leisure. The global sales office in India was set up five years ago. With about the 3,000 hotels across the globe, Marriott properties in India currently include the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai, Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Center, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel, Goa Marriott Resort, Courtyard by Marriott Chennai and the Lakeside Chalet Marriott Executive Apartment. By the end of 2011, the Marriott International portfolio in the country will grow to 28 hotels, offering 6,665 rooms. Currently under development in Bengaluru are the JW Marriott Hotel Bangalore (2009), Renaissance Bangalore Hotel (2010), Renaissance Bangalore High Grounds Hotel (2010), and The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore (2010).